Hand-painted Romanian Virgin Hodegetria icon, 12x9 in
Hand-painted Romanian Virgin Hodegetria icon, 12.2x9.1 in.
This icon, hand-painted by expert Romanian iconographers following the Byzantine tradition, is attributed to the evangelist Luke and named Hodegetria, meaning the one who shows the way, as the Virgin Mary is considered a spiritual guide and source of salvation for the faithful.
Initially kept in Jerusalem, it was transferred to Constantinople in 1046, then brought to Smolensk in the 12th century by Prince Vladimir II Monomakh, from whom i...
Info and features
Hand-painted Romanian Virgin Hodegetria icon, 12.2x9.1 in.
This icon, hand-painted by expert Romanian iconographers following the Byzantine tradition, is attributed to the evangelist Luke and named Hodegetria, meaning the one who shows the way, as the Virgin Mary is considered a spiritual guide and source of salvation for the faithful.
Initially kept in Jerusalem, it was transferred to Constantinople in 1046, then brought to Smolensk in the 12th century by Prince Vladimir II Monomakh, from whom it takes the name Smolenskaja.
In 1237, during the Golden Horde invasion, the icon became a symbol of protection, repelling the Tatar-Mongols from the city walls.
Between the 14th and 15th centuries, it was moved to Moscow, where it remained until replaced by a copy, placed in the 16th century in the main church of the Novodevichy Convent, now part of a museum.
This icon is characterised by trakele effect, a particular technique that gives depth and three-dimensionality to the image, enhancing the details with plays of light and shadow that give an even more evocative and mystical appearance.
The icon is supplied in an elegant box, perfect for storage or as a spiritually valuable gift.
